The crispness in the air, the sudden proliferation of pumpkins and the the overwhelming miles of candy-crammed supermarket aisles – ah, Halloween is coming. And it’s making us wax all nostalgic, remembering a time when Halloween costumes weren’t skanky, when you rummaged through the dress-up box and made your own clever concoction. We still remember the adorable, pint-sized IRS auditors who showed up on our porch one Halloween night – scary! Or the small, bespectacled Clark Kent whose Superman shirt peeked out from behind his suit. So we’ve been checking out other DIY Halloween ideas, like the hilarious hot dog vendor on FamilyFun.com, or the bubble bather made with small white balloons and a rubber ducky. And we’re betting you’ve got some fantastic costume ideas tucked away too.

So here’s the deal: Send us a jpeg and brief description of your favorite trick-or-treater in a great homemade costume by Oct. 10 (e-mail it to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com) and we’ll post the best of the best. And did we mention prizes? Oh yeah…it wouldn’t be a contest without prizes…
- Jackie Burrell